Scott Molina, Susan Williams To Race ITU World Triathlon San Diego

Two legends will race among age groupers at May’s ITU World Triathlon San Diego event.

See the complete announcement from USA Triathlon below:

The ITU World Triathlon San Diego will present a unique opportunity for age-group triathletes to race alongside two of the sport’s all-time greats, as Ironman World Champion and 2012 USA Triathlon Hall of Fame inductee Scott Molina and Olympic bronze medalist Susan Williams have committed to race in the age-group ranks at the May 10-12 event.

“It has been about 25 years since I last raced in San Diego – way too long,” Molina said. “I vividly recall living and racing there in the Eighties in the center of the triathlon world. I’m sure the weekend’s events will be a massive celebration of the sport, and I’m really looking forward to being part of it.”

In his competitive days, Molina notched 104 professional triathlon victories, six USA Triathlon Elite National Championships – including four straight from 1983-86 – the 1988 Ironman World Championship and a pair of World’s Toughest Triathlon titles. A father of three and grandfather of one, Molina married fellow professional triathlete Erin Baker in 1990. He resides in Christchurch, New Zealand, where he has worked as a triathlon coach since 1995.

“I am very excited to race where the first triathlon took place and toe the line alongside fellow age-group athletes, then sit back and watch our top elites vie for spots on the U.S. Olympic Team,” Williams said.

Williams, who captured the first Olympic triathlon medal for the United States in Athens in 2004, returned to racing as an age-grouper in 2011 following the birth of her third child.

The ITU World Triathlon San Diego’s scenic race venue is adjacent to Fiesta Island, which hosted the world’s first-ever triathlon on Sept. 25, 1974. Held in conjunction with one of just eight elite ITU World Triathlon Series events in 2012, top-flight Olympic- and sprint-distance age-group races, as well as an Olympic-distance relay, will offer amateurs the chance to compete in the same epic venue as the world’s best athletes.

Race-day action for age-groupers is scheduled for Saturday, May 12 with the age-group Olympic-distance and relay races at 6:30 a.m., followed by the sprint-distance event at 9:30 a.m.

Additionally, triathlon clubs of all sizes and nations will descend upon Mission Beach in sunny San Diego to compete for the inaugural Global Club Challenge crown. Age-group athletes vying for the right for their multisport club to be called the “best club in the world” will compete in the Olympic-distance race Saturday morning. The event also will feature a Military Challenge and Collegiate Club Challenge.

The elite races will serve as the second of two qualifying events to determine the 2012 U.S. Olympic Men’s and Women’s Triathlon Team. The event also will play a key role in determining the Olympic squads for a number of other nations, as it is the second-to-last ITU World Triathlon Series event prior to the closing of the ITU’s 2012 Olympic qualification window at the end of May. The women’s elite race will be held Friday, May 11, followed by the men on Saturday, May 12.